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WHY DO WE REDESIGN BOOK COVERS, BUT NOT ALBUM COVERS?

I was having a ponder the other day on life, the universe and all that, and began turning over the subject of book covers. The question I was trying to answer was simple…why do book covers change whilst album covers stay the same?

Odd, isn’t it?

The very thought of changing the album sleeve to, say, Dark Side of the Moon, would fill a graphic designer (and Pink Floyd fans) with horror. I mean, can you imagine Nirvana’s Nevermind being reissued with a goldfish, instead of a baby? Or, taking it further, having the cover completely reimagined as a deodorant can that says ‘Teen Spirit’ on it.

It doesn’t work, does it? Album covers have to stay the same otherwise the world seems wrong.

So why is it different for books?

There is the old adage about never judging a book by its cover. (Although, to be honest, I’ve…